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timbitsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I really liked this book, it was exactly the vibe I needed. A little bit of romance mixed in with a main quest. High stakes for the characters but not too heavy or high stakes as a reader. There were some very cheese moments The morning of Cerise's Claiming Day. If you know, you know but you have to expect that to a certain degree when it comes to YA books. I was a little surprised at the level of description in a couple of the romance scenes because of how YA the rest of the novel is, but if you're more of a spice reader you will find it pretty tame.
The characters are all pretty likeable, even the ones whom I didn't trust at first. None of the conflict comes from any of the characters dynamics within the group as they all get along pretty well. Even between Nero and Father Padron which I think could have added more 2nd act tension.
There is a mystery at play and the reveal was enjoyable, I knew where it was going but it hides an extra layer. I am very excited for the next installment and to see how the implications of the epilogue play out.
The characters are all pretty likeable, even the ones whom I didn't trust at first. None of the conflict comes from any of the characters dynamics within the group as they all get along pretty well. Even between Nero and Father Padron which I think could have added more 2nd act tension.
There is a mystery at play and the reveal was enjoyable, I knew where it was going but it hides an extra layer. I am very excited for the next installment and to see how the implications of the epilogue play out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting
Minor: Grief
nanixon89's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was just okay. Nothing to write home about and nothing that really excited me. It felt very rote and seemed to fill a formula. The romance between the king and Cerise was sort of just…there. I didn’t feel any sort of pining or longing or any real love between them outside of, “Hey, we gotta make them fall in love!”
This book felt very surface level at times too. There were some aspects that felt very fleshed out at the same time, especially the religion and the curse. That was what intrigued me the most and you could see how that mirrors certain Western religions today. There were a lot of twists and discoveries at the end of the book that I didn’t see coming, but I just don’t think I care enough to continue the series. The writing was nothing spectacular either. I think I was just reading it to finish the book at one point.
Simply a very average book for me.
This book felt very surface level at times too. There were some aspects that felt very fleshed out at the same time, especially the religion and the curse. That was what intrigued me the most and you could see how that mirrors certain Western religions today. There were a lot of twists and discoveries at the end of the book that I didn’t see coming, but I just don’t think I care enough to continue the series. The writing was nothing spectacular either. I think I was just reading it to finish the book at one point.
Simply a very average book for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
suzie2006's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
The Half King was well done and an enjoyable read, but not quite a four star read for me. Cerise and Kian as characters are likeable, but I feel like their relationship wasn’t done as well as it could have been. I wanted more tension, more angst and more development. I feel like it was 0-60 a little too quickly to be plausible.
Secondary characters were good but not great with 100 more pages I feel like Daerick, Nero, General Petros and Lady Delora could all have a little more character development. I also figured out some of the “twists” (but not all). There were also a few questions that were created but never resolved- I don’t want to list them, because I don’t like to write spoilers in my review. Since this is a series, it could be that they will be addressed in a future book- but somehow I don’t think so. I think the author feels like she tied up the loose ends with a couple sentences in the final 20 pages. If so, this is a 3 star read- solid instead of 3.25, so I am giving it the benefit of the doubt.
This is fundamentally a story about how power corrupts, the power of love (romantic and family) and how secrets and lies are never a good idea. This book has good “bones” and with a little more slow burn romance and character development this book could easily be a 4-5 star read, but in its current form I will read Book 2, but I don’t feel the need to re-read or keep this one. Good way to spend an afternoon, but ultimately a “one and done.”
Secondary characters were good but not great with 100 more pages I feel like Daerick, Nero, General Petros and Lady Delora could all have a little more character development. I also figured out some of the “twists” (but not all). There were also a few questions that were created but never resolved- I don’t want to list them, because I don’t like to write spoilers in my review. Since this is a series, it could be that they will be addressed in a future book- but somehow I don’t think so. I think the author feels like she tied up the loose ends with a couple sentences in the final 20 pages. If so, this is a 3 star read- solid instead of 3.25, so I am giving it the benefit of the doubt.
This is fundamentally a story about how power corrupts, the power of love (romantic and family) and how secrets and lies are never a good idea. This book has good “bones” and with a little more slow burn romance and character development this book could easily be a 4-5 star read, but in its current form I will read Book 2, but I don’t feel the need to re-read or keep this one. Good way to spend an afternoon, but ultimately a “one and done.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent
magneto's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
This book had no idea what it wanted to be - it read like YA but was meant to be adult and the plot is fairly flimsy if you think about it for more than a few seconds. The main character acts so juvenile which I partially understand is due to her upbringing in-universe but because she's so childlike the sex scenes and near insta-romance were a little uncomfortable to read. The book feels like it's supposed to be high stakes, with concrete deadlines on people's lives, but then the pacing is off combined with convenient quickly executable solutions. Also, the "plot twist" was something you could see since nearly the beginning of the book unfortunately so the ending of the book didn't have as much impact as intended. If I hadn't downloaded this as my sole book to read during an international flight I'd have DNF'd.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent
fangirlfaction's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The synopsis for this book piqued my interest because the premise sounded so intriguing. A cursed king that fades into shadows at night? A bonafide shadow daddy? Cursed noble families? A religion devoted to an angry goddess, or so it seems? Yes, please! Sign me right up. It's like this author gathered up a bunch of my favorite tropes and molded them into a story that is my ultimate kryptonite.
I found myself entranced from the very first chapter. I didn't expect it to but the author's writing style really resonated with me. It was very engaging and flowed beautifully. The plot of the book packed a big punch. I was totally invested in the story from start to finish. I just couldn't get enough. There were tons of shocking plot twists that carried a lot of weight in the story. The world-building wasn't extravagant but painted a nice picture for the reader of this world.
I formed an attachment to these characters straight away. All of the characters were distinct with unique personalities and backgrounds. I love that while Cerise grew up very sheltered in a religious temple she still wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She seemed very ignorant of certain things but that didn't mean that she was timid. Kian was rather mysterious at first. After warming up to Cerise he was quite a sweetheart. You could feel his pain about his circumstances. It affected him even though he tried to hide it. Daerick was a surprising character that captured my heart. He was a glass-half-full kind of person who was an absolute joy. He also had some pain about his curse but he was proactive and positive that they could reverse it. Nero was another side character who was absolutely charming. Cerise and her close companions have the makings of the perfect squad goals. The villain of the story was definitely worthy of the title.
The romance felt a bit rushed to me but I can't deny that the chemistry between Cerise and Kian was undeniable. It was a tangible thing that felt organic and genuine. I truly loved the banter between them in the beginning.
Overall, this was a transfixing romantasy that you won't be able to get out of your head. The plot twists were thrilling, the characters were enchanting, and the romance was forbidden and tantalizing. After that ending, I am so stoked to read the second book in this series!
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I found myself entranced from the very first chapter. I didn't expect it to but the author's writing style really resonated with me. It was very engaging and flowed beautifully. The plot of the book packed a big punch. I was totally invested in the story from start to finish. I just couldn't get enough. There were tons of shocking plot twists that carried a lot of weight in the story. The world-building wasn't extravagant but painted a nice picture for the reader of this world.
I formed an attachment to these characters straight away. All of the characters were distinct with unique personalities and backgrounds. I love that while Cerise grew up very sheltered in a religious temple she still wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She seemed very ignorant of certain things but that didn't mean that she was timid. Kian was rather mysterious at first. After warming up to Cerise he was quite a sweetheart. You could feel his pain about his circumstances. It affected him even though he tried to hide it. Daerick was a surprising character that captured my heart. He was a glass-half-full kind of person who was an absolute joy. He also had some pain about his curse but he was proactive and positive that they could reverse it. Nero was another side character who was absolutely charming. Cerise and her close companions have the makings of the perfect squad goals. The villain of the story was definitely worthy of the title.
The romance felt a bit rushed to me but I can't deny that the chemistry between Cerise and Kian was undeniable. It was a tangible thing that felt organic and genuine. I truly loved the banter between them in the beginning.
Overall, this was a transfixing romantasy that you won't be able to get out of your head. The plot twists were thrilling, the characters were enchanting, and the romance was forbidden and tantalizing. After that ending, I am so stoked to read the second book in this series!
<a href="http://fangirlfaction.blogspot.com/">BLOG</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fangirlfaction/">FACEBOOK</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fangirlfaction/">INSTAGRAM</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/fangirlfaction">GOODREADS</a> <a href="https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/fangirlfaction">STORYGRAPH</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@fangirlfaction">TIKTOK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Fangirl_Faction">TWITTER</a> <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2925113403">BOOKBUB</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFS7KNMFWFV227AUADY6737RCVUA?ref_=ya_d_l_profile">AMAZON</a> <a href="https://booksirens.com/reviewer/5QJ4TZG">BOOKSIRENS</a> <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/thefangirlfaction/">PINTEREST</a> <a href="https://ko-fi.com/fangirlfaction">KO-FI</a>
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, and Blood
espurrr's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I really like Cerise. She's sheltered, but so curious. Her deep love and empathy for all things really shows through her actions. I also like how she stays true to herself, even in difficult situations. She's determined to do what is right.
The setting is interesting enough. The side characters are entertaining. The half mercy, half wrath goddess is appealing to me.
The setting is interesting enough. The side characters are entertaining. The half mercy, half wrath goddess is appealing to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
dkgreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this! The concept of the curses was pretty cool and I loved that Cerise’s compassion was what made her an badass! Also, that ending definitely makes waiting for the next book a challenge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
xapoptosisx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A very strong 4.5 stars half of this felt like a dnd campaign all fun and whimsy while the other half was a quite gut wrenching tale of religious trauma and what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal world and then overthrowing it. Cerise's speech in the final battle impeccable 10/10 no notes. The epilogue so scary and then the fairyloot edition has a bonus chapter from the pov of the dog which takes place after the epilogue which is somehow more intense and eerie than the original epilogue. Anyway I'm looking forward to read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Alcohol